W_Rich’s Offseason Plan

ByWayne

This Team is Talented; RUN IT BACK, what would it cost?

The White Sox made moves at the deadline this year. Part of the “pitch” on those talents was that 2 of them had additional control. Those moves were made at a time when Rodon had played well and earned himself a payday for next year. What would this team look like (and cost) if the White Sox just rolled the same team out there? (Remember, they got money from 2 home playoff games; held the ticket money for the non-played playoff games for a while; and JR probably wants another championship ASAP).

$126.85M in guaranteed money for 10 players (Abreu, Lynn, Grandal, Keuchel, Hendriks, Moncada, TA, Eloy, Robert, and Bummer)

COACHING STAFF

  • Replace Darryl Boston as 1B Coach and OF Instructor
    • 1st Base Coach and OF instructor: Joe McEwing (moving from 3B)
    • 3rd Base Coach and IF Instructor: Joey Cora (bring back from Pittsburgh)
    • (Alternative, keep McEwing at 3B and bring back Tim Raines at 1B and OF Coordinator)
  • Assistant Hitting Coach: Bring in another assistant; utilize outside resource focusing on “launch angle”
  • Katz and Hasler at Pitching; and Jerry Narron at Catching can continue
  • Rest up to Front Office and TLR but TLR sounded happy with them.

CLUB OPTIONS (Nov 8th)

  • Cesar Hernandez: $6M option – Accept [Pending Front Office review of his 2021]
    • Based on current Steamer Projections, he is the 7th best 2B/SS free agent option this offseason with 1.9 projected fWAR (above Escobar, Harrison, Villar, and Leury).
    • He had his worst BABIP and OBP season. Why?
  • Craig Kimbrel: $16M option (instead of $1M buyout)
    • The “Future HOF” (not that I agree) may just need to close; and his xFIP/SIERA were better than his results for the White Sox.
  • Adam Eaton: $1M buyout needs to be paid

Sitting at $149.85M for 12 players

OTHER IMPENDING FREE AGENTS

  • Carlos Rodon: Offer Qualifying Offer for $18.4M [Due Nov 10th] And/or similar AAV contract for a few years.
    • Obviously White Sox should have clearest picture on his arm and if he was effected by the “sticky stuff” enforcement
    • The QO could be accepted (even if unlikely with Boras), but should be offered if you get draft pick compensation.
  • Leury Garcia: Re-sign at $5M.
    • His versatility helps this team with so many corner bats
    • May need him for 2B if Cesar is toast
  • Ryan Tepera: Resign $5M per
    • Archie Bradley 2021 and Steve Cishek 2020 got $6M
  • Billy Hamilton: Invite back on minor league deal with camp invite and decent money (Values at $1M)
    • ask him to work on IF as well (hasn’t played IF in a game since 2013)

$179.25M for 15 MLB players (and Billy starting in minors)

ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE PLAYERS (Dec 1st deadline)

  • Lucas Giolito: $7.9M Tender
  • Reynaldo López: $2.8M Tender
  • Adam Engel: $2.2M Tender
  • Brian Goodwin: $1.7M Tender
  • Jace Fry: $1M Tender (LHRP with minor league option)
  • Jimmy Cordero: Tender at $1.2M (Depends on TJ recovery; has 1 minor league option left)
  • Evan Marshall: Decline at $2.3M (bring back on minor league deal to rehab TJ)

$196.05M with 19 MLB players (and Fry and Cordero in minors)

Pre-Arb players (and league minimum):

  • Assumed $7M cost for pre-arb players like:
    • 7 spots on 26 man left; value at $1M per spot for now with raises in new CBA; and IL stints
    • Cease, Kopech, Crochet, Vaughn, Sheets, Collins, Ruiz, Zavala, Adolfo, etc

$203.05M (full 26-man and larger contracts on those in the minors)

FREE AGENTS

  • C Sandy Leon (one year, $1M). White Sox need a defensive minded backup catcher; with Collins in AAA on his last minor league option. Collins can catch a bunch, with Jerry Narron’s help; and maybe become a better catcher, or wash out of the system. Zavala is out of minor league options.
  • N0 one else for this “Run it back” option; or some minor guys with rotating out Tepera, Goodwin, etc
  • LHP Jose Quintana for $3M (Rodon deal from last year; his 3.75 FIP and 3.94 SIERA were good in his 63 innings. SP/RP flex role)
  • LHH /SH UT or OF for less than $3M( Yoshi Tsutsugo, Kole Calhoun, Corey Dickerson, Brad Miller, Ehire Adrianza, Brock Holt )

26-Man:

  • 13 Hitters:
    • C: Grandal
    • 1B: Abreu
    • 2B: Taylor
    • 3B: Yoan (Burger in AAA)
    • SS: TA
    • LF: Eloy
    • CF: Robert
    • RF: Goodwin (never against LHSP)
    • DH: Sheets (will hit struggle)
    • Backup Catcher Leon (or Zavala who is out of options; Collins in AAA on last minor league option; Mercedes and Perez deeper)
    • UT Leury, (Romy, Mendick, Lenyn Sosa in Minors; then Jose Rodriguez and Yolbert Sanchez))
    • 4th OF: Engel (Rutherford, Cespedes in Minors)
    • Rotating 4th bench spot: Adolfo (out of options)
      • Vaughn starts in AAA to play every day, proves his way back into RF/DH time share in MLB playing at least 75% of the games

___________________________

  • 13 Pitchers:
    • SP: Giolito, Lynn, Rodon, Cease, Keuchel, Kopech
      • 6 listed; Keuchel needs to stay under 160 innings to not let his option vest; Kopech would typically be limited to 105 innings which is more than a 30 inning increase, maybe pushed to 120)
      • Lambert, Stiever, Kade McClure, Jason Bilous in AAA
    • RP: Kimbrel, Hendriks, Bummer, Tepura, Crochet, ReyLo, Ruiz,
      • Burr, Fry, Foster, Cordero have minor league Options ready in AAA

This Roster Costs $203.05M!!!

I am not advocating this roster. I wanted just to understand what running the same team back out there was.

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